#F stop numbers manual#

_ lets in way less light than _.įill in the blanks with either: f/2 or f/10._ lets in way more light than _.įill in the blanks with either: f/2.8 or f/16.An f-number of f/1.4 lets in _ light than an f/4.įill in the blank with either: more or less.Give it a try yourself by filling in the blanks here – and remember, the answer is the opposite of what you might expect! (Scroll down to the bottom of the article for the answers.) But understanding the theory behind it is never a bad thing, and now you do.

#F stop numbers manual#

Once you get a feel for shooting in manual or aperture priority, you’ll get a lot better at eyeballing the right setting. It’s worth noting that this is probably not information you will use at every shoot. These are thirds of a stop, and they’re there to give you more control. For instance, between f/2 and f/4 you also see f/3.2 and f/3.5. Your f-stop scale includes more numbers than just those halving and doubling exposure. Still, you’re probably wondering why f-stops aren’t all whole numbers. A larger opening of f/4 lets more light into your lens than a smaller opening of f/8. Think of it like a pie – 1/4th of a pie is obviously much larger than 1/8th of a pie (or f/8). This fraction is why a lower number is actually a bigger aperture than a higher number. On a 100mm lens, f/4 would measure 25mm or about an inch. For instance, an f-stop of f/4 means 1/4th or 25 percent of the lens is open. They represent a fraction of your aperture opening. They are derived from your lens’ focal length divided by the diameter of your aperture. Without getting too much into the complicated math behind f-stops, here’s an easy explanation that may help you get a grasp on why f-stops are written as they are:į-stops are actually ratios. These numbers might seem strange until you understand what they mean exactly. We’ll cover this concept in greater detail later. That’s right friends, here comes the math.Įach movement down a stop halves the amount of light that comes through your lens, but increases the numerical value (for example, going from f/2 to f/2.8 is one stop down). Each movement up a stop doubles the amount of light entering the camera, but decreases the numerical value (for example, going from f/8 to f/5.6 is one stop up). In manual mode, you’ll be able to selectively focus on the grad.Ī stop is one way photographers like to talk about measuring light. In order to manifest your creative vision, you’ll have to adjust the f-stop on your camera manually. That means it will focus on the whole crowd, instead of just your friend. If you’ve opted to shoot the scene in automatic mode, your camera’s calculations will be geared toward providing the best exposure for the entire scene. But you’d really like to focus on your friend (you’re there to capture his moment, after all). Since there are other grads standing nearby, they are also in the shot.

For one shot, you’ve decided to snap a candid photo of your friend during the ceremony. Imagine you’ve been asked to take photos at a friend’s graduation. That might take some extra mental gymnastics off your plate, but remember that in this mode your camera adjusts the f-number with mathematical, not artistic, intelligence. It’s important to note that f-stop calculations are made for you when your camera is in automatic mode. Adjusting the amount of clarity or blur present in your photo (the depth of field).Adjusting the amount of light in your photo.You’ll want to use your f-stop for two things: The Blades – These bad boys close in or retract in a circular motion to make the aperture larger or smaller, according to your adjustments.The f-number (also known as the focal ratio, f-ratio, or the f-stop) is the word we use when we’re measuring the aperture’s diameter. This hole lets light travel through the lens. The Aperture – The small hole at the back of the camera’s lens.Here you can spot two features that’ll help you to understand what an f-stop is: This shot gets us up-close and personal with the f-stop.